


Faith

by Temper_Tantrum



Series: Faith: Before and Beyond [1]
Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Angst, Drama, F/M, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2014-06-09
Packaged: 2018-02-04 00:42:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1760969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Temper_Tantrum/pseuds/Temper_Tantrum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shoko knew that she should move on, but ever since that day, she was afraid to move forward. She meets Ohno again and maybe perhaps he can help her take a leap of faith once more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Faith

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](http://flyingf1sh.livejournal.com/10428.html).

**Faith ******

>   
> _Faith means you step out with no guarantee._  
>  \- Ray Pritchard

**Four Years Ago**

Calm brown eyes searched the crowd of people moving back and forth infront of a small quaint bakeshop in the heart of Tokyo. Trying to see a certain face, she patiently looked over every single one. Giving a sigh, she leans back on the wall when she gets another false alarm. 'Oh Jun, where are you?'

++++

"Jun...we need to talk..."

"...About?"

"You, me, Masami, what you did? What else would we be talking about?" She replies patiently. He snorts. "Now?"

She looks uncertain and bits her lip in a nervous habit. "No...definitely not now, class is about to start..." She looks at him from the corner of her eyes and sees him looking at her with such intensity. "Tomorrow, at the bake shop where we met, let's meet at 10."

He gives a sigh. "Always so sentimental..." She looks at him and gives a wry smile. "You'll come won't you?"

He grunts. "You will, right, Macchan?" She uses the nickname that once held so much affection, but now...it was just a painful reminder of what once was. "Promise me? I'll wait all day if I have to, okay, Matsumoto?"

He looks at her and nods slightly. "Yeah. I'll come, Sakurai-senpai."

Ouch. When did she go back to Sakurai-senpai, when only a week ago she was Sho-chan?

Giving him a small smile, she leans in to kiss in to kiss his forehead and left, not letting him contemplate the gesture.

++++

Shoko took a glance at her watch and frowned slightly. '...5 already...' She crouched down and sighed heavily. She looked up at the sky and smiled slightly. "Haraheta... I hope he comes here soon..." She whispered and stood up again.

She looked at each passer by, hoping to see the face she expected to come. But with unknown face pass by, her heart felt heavier and heavier. She took a shaky breath and closed her eyes. 'You've got to be strong, Shoko. He could have something else important to do. But he promised he'd come...he'll definitely--'

'Without calling in or a heads up?' a traitorous part of her mind supplied.

'He's too busy too call in, but he'll be he--'

'Right, too busy with Masami.'

She bit her lip and clenched her hand. "Masami..."

The first drop of rain touched her. Startled, she looks up and her eyes widened. "Ah...rain!"

'He's not coming.'

But she stood there, because she promised she would wait all day.

++++

Ohno hummed a little tune as he began to lock the bakery. Just as he was about to leave, he saw a familiar figure hunched at corner of the shop. The figure was soaked to the bone, looking pathetic--and wet; like a wet drowned kitty.

"Shoko-chan?" he called out. Startled, Shoko turned to him and smiled. "You scared me, Ohno-san." He came closer, sheltering her already wet form from the brutal rain. "What's going on? You're wet!" he asked, concern etched into his very figure.

Sho blinked slowly, as if she just registered that fact. "Ah...so I am..." she spoke and gave a little giggle. She gave a smile at Ohno. "Why are you out so early? Wouldn't your boss get mad at you again for leaving so soon?"

Ohno frowned. "Early? Shoko-chan, it's past midnight. I actually stayed in late today..."

She looked shocked and glanced at her watch. "01.13?!" she cried and stood up quickly. "My parent's will kill me!"

"Where you waiting for MatsuJun?" he asks and he knows he hits the mark when she abruptly shuts down.

"...yeah, but he's not here." She replies softly and pulls out a small red box. "I missed his birthday and forgot to give him this." Curious, Ohno leans closer and blinks at the simple chain with a J pendant with a simple violet and red stone on it.

"I took a leap of faith today and asked him to come, to patch everything up." She began but gave a little broken laugh. "But he's not here and I guess, I got my answer." She turns to Ohno and hands him the package. "Can you give this to him? I don't think I can meet up with him anymore."

Ohno took the package. "You're going."

Sho gave a pained smile. "If he came, I wouldn't go, but he didn't, I guess I am leaving." She closed her eyes and sucked in a heavy breath. "Well, I guess I'll be going Oh-chan."

"Let me take you home..." He tells her and she shook her head. "I'll call a cab, but thank you."

He stares at her back and thinks, 'Has her back ever look this small?'

He waited until she got in the cab. She gave him one last smile and went in. As the the cab left, he wonders if he was just seeing her figure shaking as if she was crying. He looks at the package and blinks. 'Well done, Jun.' he thought. 'Well done.'

As he began his treck home, he stopped at as he saw a figure running towards his shop. "MatsuJun." he calls out. The other stops infront of him, completely out of breath.

Ohno wonders if fate was this cruel. Allowing him to arrive, when just a few minutes ago she had left.

"Is she--is she still---" he asks, breathing irregular.

He shakes his head. "No, but she left this for you."

Jun gave a sad smile. "She really had them made..."

Ohno gave a little shrug. He didn't know. "You know, Masami told me to come. She told me that I had to patch things up with Sho before she left."

"You should have." Ohno told him

"But I came too late." Jun shrugged.

"You did." Ohno confirmed. "Nino's going with her."

Jun gave a laugh. "He'll do her good, I suppose."

Ohno shook his head. "They're not like that."

Jun shrugged. "Maybe." Then they didn't say anything else. Ohno left first. "Ohno-san..." Jun called out. Ohno stopped but didn't turn around. "Can you--can you thank her for me?"

"No." Ohno replied almost immediately. "Do it yourself, coward." and walked away.

++++

**PRESENT**

Shoko groaned as she stretched out her stiff body. "I really THOUGHT that it would never land!"

A voice beside her snorted. "Idiot. It's a plane, of course it would land! Either safely, or not...that's a whole different matter altogether."

"Kazu!" she moaned and slapped the back of his head. "That's not funny."

He gave her a winning smile. "Of course not. Crash landings aren't funny at all, what made you think it was?"

She gave him a withering glare and huffed. "Jerk."

Nino just bumped his shoulder on hers in retaliation. She stumbled a little and huffed. "Oh if Hollywood saw you now, acting like a little brat that you are."

Nino snorted. "Please, they know that already." He turned to him with a little smirk. "What you should be worried about is them finding out that we LIVE together." Shoko groaned. "That would turn into a nightmare that you would manipulate, you sneaky little bugger."

Nino laughed a little and hailed a cab. "That I definitely would. Come on Sho-chan, we're in Japan. We should enjoy this little mini vacation." Sho deadpanned at him. "You're shooting a movie, Kazu. . ." He merely hummed as he assisted her with placing her bags at the back of the cab. "Seriously, you ARE shooting the movie, aren't you?" He didn't reply.

"Kazu." She warned. He rolled his eyes. "Of course, I am!" he replied, "We're just having some difficulties with finding the lead girl."

 

She raised her brow. "What? I thought you already--" she pause to give directions to the driver, "I thought you already had that problem solved before we flew back!"

Nino snorted. "For a PA, you sure are nosy." Rolling her eyes, Sho snorted. "Please, if I was your PA, they don't pay me enough. I'm just your nanny."

He, at least, looked indignant. "I do not NEED a nanny! I'm too old for that!" She rolled her eyes and snorted. "Right..." He growled, then smirked. "You're not my nanny. Your a butler."

"Kazu!"

He smirked. "That should be Kazunari-sama to you, Shoko-chan."

She glared at him and huffed. "Why did I let you drag me here again?"

"Because of my charms..." he told her with a matching grin. Rolling her eyes, she looked out the window. "It's been 6 years since we left." He frowned and sighed. "Yeah. Six years since I let you drag me to the great America." She smiled at him wryly. "Really? I remembered that a certain someone just told me that he was going with me and wasn't going to take a no."

He raised his moled chin and huffed. "You're getting old, Sho-chan. Your memory's going bad." Growling, she looked away. "Why do I even bother." He grinned at her cheekily. "Because you love to lose, you DoM you." Not responding, he poked her.

"Stop it." she warned.

"But you're ignoring me." He whined. She looked at him and sighed. "Let's eat out today?" He looked wary. "How is this connected to ignoring me?"

"It isn't, but I don't feel like killing the kitchen today." she replied and he scoffed. "You do that with ease too." She ignored him. "Do you think the bake shops still there?"

Nino gave her a side glance as he directed the cab to park it infront of their building. "Oh-chan's? Yeah, it should be. He told me it's still there."

She glanced outside whistfully. "I'd like to visit it one day."

"Why not today?" he asks as they get off. She looks at him shocked. "Now?!" He shrugs. "We don't start filming until next week. We get like a week off before anything major happens, we might as well use it to have fun."

Shoko looked torn as she swiped her access card to enter the building, dragging her luggage with her. "I don't know, Kazu. I've got so much to do..." He snorted. "You've always got so much to do, Ms. Producer, but for once leave it for a week? I mean, I'm not asking you to ignore forever. Just when we go out, when we get home, you can crunch up your numbers as much as you like."

Shoko wrinkled her nose in irritation. She did NOT just crunch numbers damn it! "Come on, Sho-chan." He gave her one of his vulnerable smiles. "It's just a lunch out. And I'm sure Oh-chan misses you..." Giving in she gave him a tired smile, "Alright. You got me. I've missed him too."

He gave her a wide grin. "I knew you'd come around. Come on, let's get this in and go right now! I've texted him to reserve a table for two!"

Sho gaped at him and screeched. "YOU WHAT?!"

He gave her a smirk. "You know I'll always win. The point of the argument is that I pretend to give you a chance."

+++

Shoko pouted when she got dragged over to a little corner in the back marked RESERVED, Nino was being mean.

Nino purposely ignored how some guys gave Sho an appraising look. Sure, he knew she was pretty. Hell, she was drop dead gorgeous but that was because he MADE SURE that he got the point across that she may be a nerd, but she can be a PRETTY nerd. And she became even prettier when they lived in America. (They got awesome beauty products.) That and she had an amazing rack--no, seriously, she was HUGE. He knew, he checked. (Just because he was gay doesn't mean he can't appreciate. And she had the FRONT he could appreciate without being disgusted.)

If he was so sure he didn't lean that way, he wouldn't have to be worried about the girl (yes, because Sho would NEVER be a woman, the way she pouts). She would be his and that would end all problems. Unfortunately, he did not like girls and so his dilemma.

With her back to the perverts, he could happily glare (and noted happily that they look away embarrassed). "Kazu, stop glaring. It won't help me get married." He snorted. "They get intimidated by this, they'll die when they meet your dad." She huffed. "Tou-san isn't that scary!"

He raised his brow at her. "Shoko-chan, your father's a Diet Member who simply has residence in America as an Ambassador. If that's not shit scary, then I'll your cooking."

"You eat it all the time." She replied. "Correction, I'll eat your cooking without making a horrible comment every bite." he corrects. She harrumphs. "Fine. My father is scary! There, happy now?"

"No, but that'll do." he tells her coolly. She raises her hands in the air and groans.

A small chuckle makes both look to their side and sees a smiling Ohno coming towards them. "You two haven't ever changed." he greets them and sits beside Nino (but it was practically on him).

"Ohno-san!"/"Oh-chan!"

Shoko leans ernestly, genuinely happy to see him. Ohno smiles at her, also appreciating how she turned out to be. "It's nice to see you!" she cried. Nino smirked across and hugged him tighter. "My Oh-chan, Sho-chan." Shoko rolled her eyes. "Right, your Oh-chan."

Ohno frowned. "I'd rather not be. I don't do guys." He looks at Shoko contemplatively and lets his eyes wonder and smiles. "But I don't mind being Sho-chan's."

Nino growled (half in frustration, half because he saw the way he looked at her). Sho turned a very delicious shade of pink. "T-thank you, Satoshi..." she told him, blushing and not quite looking at him in the eye. He smiles back at her in his usual sleepy way and hummed. "Belonging to Sho-chan sound nice."

"OIE!" Nino snapped and slapped Ohno's head. "Stop flirting with my ward infront of your stalker!"

Sho bristled. "I am not your ward!" At the same time Ohno turned to him in confusion and alarm, "Stalker?!"

Nino huffed. "Yes ward and yes, stalker. Now, let's all pretend we're good friends and have lunch yeah?" He raised a brow at them and smirked. Sho sighed while Ohno repeated what he just said, "Stalker?!"

Over all, lunch was great, fun even.

+++

"How have you been, Ohno-san?" Sho asks, her smile pleasant as she cuts her steak. He blinks and smiles earnestly. "I'm---" He never gets to reply when a jovial voice jumped in.

"Riida?!" a chipper voice made itself known behind Shoko, and she froze. She could see Nino's eyes widening in shock and Ohno is surprise. She could see Nino silently cursing and glaring at the new comers.

"Masami? Who are you--oh! Ohno-san? It's a pleasant surprise. Who are you with to---?" the voice gets cut off when Sho slowly turn around to face them. "Sakurai-senpai..." Jun whispers out.

She braces herself and puts a brave front (later that day, she will realize she has amazing acting skills to have escaped that without losing her smile). With a smiled, she greets them. "Ju--" she began, but thought better of it. Damn! She still thought of him as Jun. "Matsumoto-kun, Masami-chan. . . it's been a while." She speaks.

She sees Masami's eyes widening and looking too dumbstruck to react. Jun reacted first. "I didn't know you were going to be in Japan." He glances as Nino (who was glaring at both of them), "Or the Great Director Ninomiya to be either."

Nino snorts and huffs. "Yes, we are. Seeing as we aren't ghosts or anything like that." He snarls at them. "Now that we've established that, can you take your shiny behind and that lovely lady behind you and gape somewhere else? You are ruining a perfect little lunch date."

Masami found her senses to be confused. "Date?" she asked confused. "What date? You can't have a date with three people, unless you're in a Threesome--" Jun turned to his girlfriend and tried to tug her away, but to no avail, "---but I know you aren't because one of you is female!"

Ohno frowned. He didn't like how that sentences sounded like, but before he could reply. Nino (surprise,surprise!) beat him to it.

"Please, that's disgusting! It's like talking about having sex with my daughter and my possible victim!" he cried, complete indignant surprise and disgust.

Ohno (and by default, Shoko & Jun) shot him a disapproving look--though in Jun's case it looked like a smoldering glare.

"Yeah...well, we--uh--" Jun didn't really complete it as he took in how Sho looked. She looked healthy, content and ... smiling. Assured, he gave them all a nod and left the restuarant.

The moment they saw the couple stagger away. Sho gave a small bitter chuckle but said nothing. Noting this, Nino glared at her. "Shoko..." She hummed in response as she took a bite and gave the customary, "Uma-i~"

"...Are you okay?" Ohno asked, determination and concern etched on his face. Sho looked at him startled, as did Nino. "Y-yeah." she replied, stuttering at that intense gaze. "I'm fine really." she told them both, when they both looked at her uncertain. "Really." Emphasizing on it.

"I'll be okay." she smiles and eats. 'Someday...'

+++

They left together and Sho stared at the horizon and smiled. "It's actually nice to be back~" she realized. Nino scoffed as he wrapped his arm around her waist and she giggled. "Kazu, this is why we were in the tabloids~" Ohno raised an eyebrow at that. "Seriously?"

Nino scoffed. "They don't get my kind of affection. They thought we were dating!" He made a face and side-stepped Sho's half-hearted slap. "Like I said, Shoko's my WARD."

"OKAY! OKAY! I get it!" Shoko growled, folding her arms under her well-endowed chest. "Don't keep mentioning it. You'll soon start sounding like my father and less like my best friend."

Nino made a face. "Point."

"And stop using WARD." Shoko huffed, clearly annoyed. "I should have not introduced that term to you. I mean, we were in America! Not England."

Ohno smiled. This spar is completely familiar. Almost as if they never left at all---only, they were missing two people. He frowned and looked at Shoko.

She can't be okay.

"Do you guys want to visit Tokyo Disneyland?" he asked. The two stopped and turned to him, as if forgetting he was there in the first place.

"Uhm...Disneyland?" Sho asked, hesitantly. "We've been there before, Oh-chan." Nino told him, eyes blank, not understanding that request.

"It's changed." He told them patiently. Shoko turned to her best friend, looking for help to say no, she really wasn't in the mood. "Sure." Nino said when he took a glance at Sho's pathetic figure.

"WHAT?!" Sho screeched and threw her hands near his neck. "Kazu! I am not DRESSED for that!" Both male appraised her, tilting their heads.

A little sun hat, a fitting but comfy blouse accenting her figure, a light see through jacket to minimize skin exposure (there was no need for 2 black people in their group), a knee high skirt and knee high brown 2-inch heeled boots.

"You're fine." Nino drawled, moving forward to rearrange her jacket that was slipping off her shoulders (Nino swears they're too slopy). "You're very beautiful." Ohno agrees. Nino scowled at him when Shoko started blushing and rearranging her jacket, looking at everything and everyone but Ohno. "T-thank you again, Oh-chan." Ohno just smiled. "So...??"

Nino sighs, and was about to speak when his phone rang. "Let me get this first. Damn that Toma, I told him NOT to call..."

Sho looked at Nino worriedly but was distracted when Ohno grabbed her hand in his. She looked at him confused, no one really like holding her hands. They feel like they were going to break anytime, at least that's whay they all say...even Jun.

"Guys, good news." Nino approached them, ignoring the hands. He will get back Ohno for stealing Shoko, even if he knew this was a good thing. "I'm leaving you two on a date before I head over to the site and fix a miniscule problem with the location."

Shoko looked concerned. "What?" she began, "Why? What's going on?" She tried to move forward but found that Ohno wasn't letting him. She turned to him in confusion. "Kazu can handle it." he told her simply with a sleepy smile. "But you don't understand, Ohno-san, I'm--"

"Not supposed to be here until next month." Nino cut in and gave a smile to Ohno. "You'll take care of her, yeah?" Ohno's mouth thinned in a determined line and gave a nod. Nino nodded. "Call you if you aren't home by 10."

Sho glared at him, but softened when she saw his tired back. The reason why he came in the first place was to remove some of the load off his shoulders, but he's pushing her off.

"Because Sho-chan has so much on her plate already." Ohno spoke softly as he guided her towards the trains. "What?" She asked. He smiles at her and tightens his hold.

"Because Sho-chan is hurting but never showing." he tells her. Her breathe hitches and looks away from those soulful brown eyes. "I'm fine." she whispers. "Are you?" he asks.

Recalling the scene earlier today, she shakes her head. She was not okay.

+++

Ohno looked at her with a calm smile and just when she was still giggling from getting wet from the ride, he leaned for a kiss.

It was brief and chaste and quick. But it held the effect he wanted. She stared at him, wide eyed and gaping. "Oh-chan?" she asked, looking at his eyes. Ohno smiled at her took her hand towards the ride he knew she was dreading.

"Ohno-san, please anything but that!" she whimpered and tried to pull away.  
"  
Anything but that!"

Ohno looked at her, looking hurt. "Don't you trust me?"

She shook her head, eyes brimming in near tears. "Don't ask me that when you're letting me line up to ride that--THAT!"

Ohno pouted and loosened his hold. He knew it was cruel, but it was for the best. " . . ."

She crumbled faster than a burning building--which isn't a really good comparison seeing as burning buildings crumbled slow. "That's not fair!" she whined and held on to his hand tighter. "Let's just get it over with." He grinned at her brightly and she felt her breath hitch.

She never once thought Ohno could run that fast. They have been had.

+++

Ohno looked at the girl at his side and chuckled. She gave a small whimper. "O-Oh-chan, are we there yet." He shook his head, then remembered she couldn't see. "No."

She shivered and curled up even more. "Let me off..." she moaned.

Ohno smiled at her. "If I do that, you'd die." Again, she moaned. "You are definitely getting lessons from Nino."

He said nothing and just grabbed her. Sho spluttered and tried to pull away. "Oh-chan!" she cried, trying to get herself away from him. She was suprised by his strength. She never imagined Ohno to be this strong, not with the image he always portrayed.

"Go out with me."

She froze and looked up at him. Satoshi's eyes were serious yet gentle. "...I can't." she replied, looking away.

"Go out with me." He repeated. She shook her head and tried to pull herself away half-heartedly. "Go out with me." He repeated once more.

"I cant!" she replied, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "...I can't..."

"Why?" He asks quietly. "...I-I..." she couldn't respond.

"I'm not Jun." He tells her. She flinches and tries to pull away.

"I'm not Jun, Sho." He repeats. "I'm not Jun."

She shook her head and gives a bitter laugh. "No. You're not."

They sat in silence.

"...no. You're not..." She mumbles into his chest. "...but that doesn't matter."

Ohno could only hold her as she cried.

  
+++

Nino glared at Ohno from across the table. Ohno stared back with no hesitation.

Nino snarled at him. Ohno only gave a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, his shoulders drooping a little.

Nino gave a heavy huff and folded his arms and resigned himself with sighing. Ohno calmly stared.

"I hate you sometimes." Nino told him, stirring his coffee. Ohno only blinked at him, not really responding.

"Didn't I tell you she has issues?" He asked him, pointing his stirring spoon at Ohno's face. Ohno just shrugged, as if to say maybe. Nino groaned at his response. "I hate that you sometimes have and not have tact."

Ohno stared at him. "She doesn't need tact." Nino blinked at him and glared. "Then, pray tell, does she need?"

"She needs to trust again. She needs to take a step out with no guarantess." He told Nino and took a bite off his scone. Nino scoffed. "Right and get her hurt again? Not a chance."

"I'm not Jun." Ohno told Nino, eyes narrowing. Nino took a glance at him and scoffed. "No. But then, we all thought Jun was the most respectable guy for her. Look where that brought us."

Ohno didn't reply, but his eyes stayed narrowed.

Nino looked at him fully, with a serious frown. "No, look us at Riida. We were such a happy 5 man group. Now we're disconnected because 3 of them decided to play with their feelings."

"It's not Jun's fault that he fell inlove with Masami." Ohno spoke.

"But it's his fault that Shoko's hurt!" Nino retorted, voice rising a pitch. "I know she's pretending she's goddamn fine but she's not!"

Ohno glared back. "I know that!"

Nino slammed his cup on the table, the contents spilling. "THEN WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?!"

Ohno not backing down reply, in cold difference. "BECAUSE SHE NEEDS TO LET GO!"

"IF IT WERE THAT FUCKING EASY, SHE WOULD HAVE ALREADY DONE IT IN AMERICA!"

"SHE COULDN'T BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T LET HER! SHE COULDN'T HEAL!"

"SHE NEEDED ME!"

"BUT SHE ALSO NEEDS TO STAND ON HER OWN!"

"SHE IS!"

"BUT YOU'RE THERE! YOU'RE MAKING HER DEPENDENT ON YOU!"

"DON'T YOU EVER THINK THAT MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I NEED HER TOO?!" Nino cried and stood up and left. Leaving Ohno sitting there, gaping at his back.

The other patrons stared at the two men and couldn't help stare as Ohno stood up, left a couple of bills and walked out.

'What...' Ohno thought as he walked outside, 'What just happened?'

A soft drop hit his nose and raised his hand. _"Rain..."_

++++

Shoko heard the door slam shut and looked up from her laptop. Coming inside was a dripping wet Nino. Quickly standing (nearly tripping on the carpet), she ran to his room, grabbed a shirt and some shorts and his towel. Running to where he sat on the kitchen stool, she gently draped it over his head. He didn't need to say anything to her to know what happened.

He was only ever like this when he had fought with one of the guys.

She just hoped it wasn't Oh-chan. Those two were such good friends.

"...he likes you, you know." He spoke, as she dried his hair. She made a noncommental sound, she didn't press.

"Ohno likes you." He told her, looking up at her.

She paused and looked into his eyes. "Does he?" she replied, continuing with what she was doing.

"He always had, I think." He says, looking back down on the floor. "Hmmm?" She replies. "But you were with Jun and then you left for America." He continues.

"And?" She asks, pulling his soaking jacket off. He lets her and pulls off his soaking shirt, ruined now but Shoko works magic on laundry when she actually has the time. "I think you should take a leap of faith." He tells her gently. His soulful eyes boring into her expressive ones.

"...I'd rather not, Kazu." She tells him and presents to him the clothes she took. "Now, bathe before you get a cold."

He stands up and walks to the bathroom and pauses midwalk. He turns back to her and says, "He's not Jun, Shoko. He's not."

Shoko stares back at him and sighs. "I know."

He nods and walks away. "As long as you know..."

She closes her eyes and leans on the kitchen counter. "I know..."

++++

Ohno stares at his bakeshop and sighs. Ever since it became so popular, he didn't actually need to be to in 24/7 anymore. Now that he became the Regional Manager. He leans on the cool wall and decides what to do next. Staring at the rain, he knew exactly what to do.

Pulling out his phone, he dialed a familiar number.

_'...Hai?'_

"Remember where we first met?"

_'The bakeshop?'_

"Meet me here. I'll wait all day."

_'...Ohno-san...Don't do this.'_

"I'll wait all day if I have to."

_'...Ohno-san...'_

"Meet me here, Sakurai. You never did give me an answer."

_'I already gave you my answer.'_

"If you don't come, I'll have my answer then."

_'Please don't do this.'_

"I already have..."

++++

Shoko stared at her phone, her indecision obvious as she bit her lip. 'Can I really...' she paused as she remembered how helpless she felt that day. 'Could I really...'

"Could you leave him there?" A voice made her stop. "I mean, really, could you do to him what Jun did to you?"

Shoko sighed as she folded her flip phone and turned to Nino who came out from the bath. "You should really stop listening to conversations."

"I didn't. But I can tell what he just asked you." Nino replied plopping himself on the couch across her. "Are you going?"

Shoko looked away. She really didn't know.

"So you're doing what Jun did to you then?" Nino asked. "Going in the last minute?"

Shoko shook her head and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going Shoko?" Nino asked, already knowing the answer.

Shoko paused as she opened the door. "Out. I'm suddenly craving for curry pan."

Nino shrugged. "Bring me back some melon bread."

Shoko was already out the door.

Nino sighed as he turned on the T.V. and muttered, "Girls..."

++++

Ohno stared at the girl trying to catch her breath, clutching on to his jacket. "Ohno-san..." she breathed, still out of breath.

He slowly turned back to face her. Taking her delicate hands into his and smiled, "You made it." he told her.

She nodded, trying to breath and gave him a shaky smile. "I guess?"

Ohno stepped closer and smiled as she blushed. "You made it."

She looked at him and smiled. "Yes."

"Yes."

++++

The next few weeks were a different kind of battle field. Shoko didn't know how many times she had to yell at the administration back in America about the fact they were still missing the lead girl. How can they shoot the movie when they were still missing the LEAD?! Shoko growled as she stalked the sight and enjoyed how people were parting as she walked.

"Keep doing that and it'll stick." a voice drawled from behind her. She turned around to snap that person and froze.

"Cat got your tongue?" he asked, amused at her emotion change. She calmed her features into a passive neutral look. "Matsumoto-san." she greeted.

He smiled wryly at her. "Can we talk?"

She made a face and looked at her watch. 01.19pm. Huh. She missed lunch.

"We can have lunch." she pointed out. He smiled at her and took her hand, like the most natural thing to do. "Great! I know this great restuarant around the corner with awesome soba."

She wrinkled her nose. Soba = Calories. Ugh.

But said, "...okay."

++++

They waited until the waiter took their order and left.

Shoko took in how Jun had changed. He looked good, but then again, he had to be. He was a budding idol now. The thought made her chuckle. He really did reach for his dreams.

"What's so fun, Shoko-san?" he asked. She shook her head in response and gave a small smile.

"Well, you look good. America did you good then?" he spoke. She looked away with a sad smile. "Maybe. I suppose?" she replied, not so certain. "I mean, sure, it made me open my eyes in many ways. The oppurtunities are unending but it's not Japan."

He gave a small chuckle. "Yes. I suppose its not."

She smiled at him. This felt different, awkward yes (that's never going to go away), but different, more at ease maybe?

"I hear your now dating Riida?" he asked, turning his eyes to hers. She made a face. "If you guys want to call it, sure."

He laughed. "How do you want to call it then?"

"A leap of faith." she responded. He laughed again. "He'll do you good, Shoko-chan."

She didn't respond and looked into his and he winced. The unsaid sentence lingered in the air.

_The way you didn't?_

"Sakurai-san, I'm sorry."

"Don't." She stopped him with a raised hand. He stopped. "Don't. Because I know you aren't."

He frowned. "But I am." She was about to protest but he shook his head. "I am!" he insisted.

She frowned. "Sorry for making me love you, or sorry for making me hope or sorry for not telling me you didn't love me anymore?" she hissed.

"I'm sorry for hurting you when I knew I could've not chosen to do so."

She didn't reply. He didn't speak.

"...I loved you."

He nodded his head, not looking away. "I know."

"Did you even love me?"

He winced at the question. "I did, but I was young and impressionable."

She laughed slightly. "Did you really?"

He gave a small sad smile. "Yes. You're not hard to love Shoko-san." She frowned at him. "Then why...?"

He sighed. "I don't know Shoko-san. I loved you, but soon that love turned into a different kind of love. It all began with admiration, Shoko-san. I let myself believe it was love."

"Until you met Masami." she confirmed.

"Until I grew closer to Masami." he corrected.

"...I see..." she spoke, looking away. "I was the reason the two of you grew closer."

He nodded, wincing at her neutral blank expression. "Yes."

"I really thought I was over you. " She began. Jun didn't have to look at her to know she was crying. "But seeing you infront of me, confirming that for some reason really hurts."

"I'm sorry." he apologized, carefully giving her a sad smile.

"You're a jerk." she told him while discreetly glaring at him. "I should hate you."

He nodded in acceptance. "You should."

"But I won't."

"Why?" he asked, curious.

"Because I loved you. Because you're my friend. Because you're Oh-chan's friend. Because Kazu needs someone to bully. But mostly because I loved you."she told him.

"And I loved you." he replies with a gently smile, "I still do. You're Shoko-chan. I can't help but forever love you."

"Liar." she tells him with a smile.

He smiles back.

++++

Masami stood infront of her, eyes pleading with unshed tears.

Shoko blinks back her surprise and turns to Nino, who just shrugs. "Can I help you Aiba-san?" she asks.

Masami winces and swallows. "H-hai." she turns to back from Nino to Shoko. "I-I was told that I was to report to you two for the lead role?"

Nino's eyes widened a fraction before glaring. "No."

Masami nods in understanding and turns to leave. "Wait." Shoko calls out.

They both freeze. "What?" Masami croaks and turns to Shoko. "Why?"

Shoko shrugs and says, "I'm tired of filming sceens without the lead. Let's see what you can do, then we'll talk."

Nino glares at Shoko. "I'm the Director." Shoko ignores him as she hands Masami a copy of the script. "And I'm the Producer, so technically, I'm the boss." She turns to Masami and nods. "Let's do Scene 19. Start with her entering the room. Prove me that you deserve to be the lead."

Masami blinks and beams at her and nods. "Hai!"

Nino could only sigh. "...girls..."

++++

Ohno stared as he entered his bake shop to find 4 familiar faces seated by each other. He approaches and he sees Masami beam at him. "Riida!" she cries and Jun bonks her softly on the head. "Don't be so loud." He tells his fiancee. She pouts but grins at something Nino says.

Nino rolls his eyes at him as he stood up to let him sit on Shoko's other side.

She grins at him and he smiles back. His hand held hers under the table.

He leans in and whispers, while the others were distracted. "You're awfully happy."

She smiles at him and giggle. She whispers back, "I took a leap of faith." He smiles at her and she smiled back.

"Yes. You and me both."

_You and I stepped into the unknown. And I'm glad that we did._

++++ 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. :)
> 
> If you enjoyed this, feel free to browse [here](jaricchi.livejournal.com/4014.html) for more. :)


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